Stuart MacBride Books

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Stuart MacBride is a well-established novelist, who was born on February 27, 1969. Despite the fact that MacBride was born in Dumbarton, he was raised in the town of Aberdeen. Before he became an author, Stuart McBride did all kind of jobs such as graphic design, toilet cleaning, computer programming and web design. MacBride took a major in architecture at the well-established Heriot-Watt University. After making several attempts at writing, Stuart MacBride’s publishing deal was secured when the MacBride penned the novel Half Dead. Nonetheless, the publishers were somehow interested in his other work, Cold Granite. It did not take long before he was given a three-year deal.

Later on, the deal was extended to a 6-book deal. In the year 2009, Stuart MacBride was given another deal, which gave him the opportunity of penning more books in the Logan book series, together with two more standalone novels.

Stuart MacBride was born in 1969 in Dumbarton, but his family relocated to the north-east of Scotland, specifically the city of Aberdeen in the early ’70s, when MacBride was two years old. MacBride himself is not too enthused with the academic ability he showed while at school, and his CSE in woodwork might have been his biggest achievement at the time. He continued with his less-than-stellar time in education at Edinburgh’s Heriot Watt University, where he made a short-lived attempt at studying architecture. However, this was not the path that MacBride really wanted to follow, so he left the world of academia behind and instead went to work off-short, as many people did, and still do, in that part of the world. After his stint on the rigs, MacBride tried over careers, mainly revolving around computers, such as a web designer, a computer programmer and then a project manager for a large IT firm. Of course, there were other attempts at a career, such as a graphic designer and an undertaker, but it was in IT that MacBride was afforded his break.

In the mid-2000s, while working in IT, Stuart MacBride had the time to write the first book in the Logan McRae series of books, Cold Granite. The book was published in 2005, and it won MacBride the Barry Award for Best First Novel in the follow year’s awards. Cold Granite was also nominated for the International Thriller Writers Award for Best Debut Novel, and also the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award, although it failed to win. In fact, MacBride would be nominated for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award for the following two books in the Logan McRae series, Dying Light, and Broken Skin. Again, he failed to win, but the critical acclaim for the series was matching the commercial success.

As well as the Logan McRae books, which garnered MacBride his reputation, he has written a few standalone novels, and he has also created the character Ash Henderson. Like Logan McRae, Ash Henderson works in the police force, and is a Detective Constable in the fictional city of Oldcastle. The series started with Birthdays for the Dead, which was published in 2012, and it focuses on a personal case for Henderson, which involves his child being taken by the killer dubbed as The Birthday Boy, and his attempts to solve the case.

Ash Henderson’s home city of Oldcastle also features in MacBride’s collection of short stories, Twelve Days of Winter, a series of crime stories set around Christmas.

Stuart MacBride Awards

Stuart MacBride is the recipient of numerous awards such as the prestigious Barry Award and the CWA Dagger in the Library Award. He has also received several nominations such as the International Thriller Award, Barry Award for the Best British Crime Novel and a Theakson’s Old Peculiar Award.

Stuart MacBride Books into Movies

None of the works by Stuart Macbride have been adapted for a screenplay. However, Macbride has been featured in some Television Documentaries as himself; they include Super Sleuths and Crime Connection.

Best Stuart Macbride Books

Cold Granite: This is the first book in the Logan MacRae book series. The book has been set in Aberdeen Scotland in the middle of a winter. The location is not only cold but also somewhat unforgiving. However, the icy chills all around the town are not due to the extremely cold weather, but instead, it is because there is a cold hearted killer in town. Furthermore, because the storyline revolved around the murder and the abduction of a child, Cold Granite was always going to be an exceedingly difficult read. However, Cold Granite was not only compelling to read, but also all the characters were extremely realistic.

With that said, the author, Stuart Macbride introduces the reader to DS Logan MacRae. MacRae is challenged fully by his case after resuming back to work. Logan had been off duty due to sickness. The book begins with the discovery of a body, which was later confirmed to belong to one David Reid, a four-year-old child. David had not only been strangled, but his body had also been mutilated as well. However, this was just the beginning because there were several shocking discoveries, which were later made in the book. All these discoveries were not only heartbreaking, but they also made the book exceedingly gripping as well. With that said, the author has created an exceptional beginning to the DS McRae book series. The book was full of meaty characters such as DI Steele and DI Insch, who had a great sense of humor. The two also provided a light relief from the graphic ad horrific details of the book.

Dying Light: Another excellent read from Stuart MacBride is Dying Light. In this book, DS Logan McRae, the protagonist has been living in disgrace ever since the warehouse raid that saw DC Maitland shot. As his punishment, McRae was transferred to another team, which was headed by DI Steele.

He was completely horrified, and everyone in the force believed that she was a screw-up who could not do anything right. Being on Steele’s team was more than torture for McRae. The book begins as the reader is introduced to a prostitute who had been viciously beaten to death. Across the town, there is an exceedingly old squat that had all of the exists sealed from the outside. The squat was burned down and inside the squat six people were incinerated. Insch together with Steel and McRae were assigned the case. There were several maniacs who were on the loose and the apparently the local police were trailing them. As the evidence continued to pile up, another body was found belonging to yet another prostitute.

A serial killer was out of blood, and McRae knew that if they did not act fast, they were going to lose more people. As all the cases became entwined, more evidence continued to pile up. Would the McRae and his team be able to find the killer in time before he struck again? Only time will tell.

Stuart MacBride FAQs

Q: What nationality is the author Stuart MacBride?

A: The author Stuart MacBride was born in Dumbarton, which makes him Scottish, or British, depending on your point of view.

Q: What was Stuart MacBride’s first book?

A: Cold Granite was Stuart MacBride’s first book. It is the first in the Logan McRae series of books, and it was published in 2005.

When Does The Next Stuart MacBride book come out?

Stuart MacBride doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is The Dead of Winter and was released on February, 16th 2023.

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